Somatostatin analogue and tissue cultures in the study of a human malignant glucagonoma

A patient with metastasizing glucagonoma producing multiple molecular forms of glucagon is reported. The patient responded to symptomatic treatment with a somatostatin analogue (SMS 201-995). Glucagonoma tumour cells were studied in two tissue culture systems: intraocular transplants of immunosuppressed rats and long-term cell cultures. In both systems, several region-specific glucagon antisera gave a positive immunoreaction with tumour cells indicating synthesis of multiple molecular species. Intraocular tumour transplants released glucagon into the chamber fluid. In animals with unilateral transplants, glucagon was also detected in the contralateral eye chamber, indicating passage from the transplants via unknown mechanisms. Treatment of tumour cells during culture with SMS 201-995 inhibited rapidly the spontaneous release of glucagon without evident cytotoxic effects. The inhibitory effect decreased with time.